Budda Baker Never Wanted to Leave Cardinals
GLENDALE -- Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker walked into the press conference at State Farm Stadium after another long practice of training camp. It's a walk Baker has made plenty of times during his tenure with the team, though there was an extra jolt in his smile when he approached the podium.
Baker endured a long offseason of contract negotiations and drama, which all came to an end yesterday when the team re-worked his deal to ensure their best player was taken care of. Speculation of Baker wearing anything but a Cardinals jersey could be put to rest.
Now, Baker is finally able to focus on football and put numbers and financials behind him. He can continue his time as a Cardinal, and he isn't taking that for granted.
"I started my career here. Going on to my fourth coaching staff, and this coaching staff is a great coaching stuff that. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to be coached by [them] and it's been great," Baker told reporters.
"Just being in contact with them, understanding the playbook from afar and just getting ready for the season - that was my main goal getting ready for training camp, and it's been great."
Baker reportedly asked the Cardinals for a significant pay raise or to be traded. That was way back in the months leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft.
Arizona ultimately ended up guaranteeing his 2023 salary, gave him another $300k signing bonus and millions more in incentives for the All-Pro to hit.
Baker showed up for mandatory minicamp and the one day of training camp before things were settled, but was mostly on his own accord for the offseason while things were still being worked through.
He says he still stayed in contact with teammates as if nothing changed.
"Personally, I still hung out with those guys. They still came over and hung out. I still talked to a lot of them. It was kind of being away but at the end of the day we were still hanging out with each other. Going to lunch, going to dinner, them coming to my house, watching a little film with JT [Jalen Thompson] and Isaiah [Simmons] just trying to get the playbook. So it was okay," Baker said.
There's a revival happening in the desert, though the most common term for that is a rebuild. A new front office and new coaching staff have already inserted a breath of fresh air into Arizona without a single game being played.
That's excited fans, and that surely excited Baker as well.
"I definitely believe that this coaching staff and of course Monti [Ossenfort] the GM are developing a great culture here. I'm very excited for the things that they're doing and the things that they coach and the things that they preach throughout every single day," said Baker.
"It's definitely a blessing to get that because like you said, this is my fourth coaching staff here. I've been drafted here, I've been blessed to stay here. My job is to continue to be consistent in the way I play, but also just trying to get that culture right. This coaching staff is a great staff and I believe we got it, so it's definitely awesome for me."
Baker still has two years left on his deal, and the Cardinals could still cut ties with the safety if things go sideways ahead of the 2024 season, if they wanted to of course.
That seems unlikely, especially if Baker continues to play at the level fans are used to seeing.
When asked if he was confident in staying in Arizona long-term, Baker responded with the following:
"Yeah, of course. I've been drafted here. I know it wasn't the same coach or the same GM, but of course it's the same owner. Drafted here, been here six years going on seven - it's been awesome for me. I love Arizona, I love Arizona fans. I'll continue to play to the best of my ability and that will be at a high level each and every year. So, you know, of course [I want to stay]."
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